Sevierville's Evergreen church sold

One of the county’s biggest day care facilities will remain in operation under new ownership after local businesspeople Ron and Betty Ogle bought the Evergreen Church and Child Care Center property on Dolly Parton Parkway.

The nine-acre property had been sold in a foreclosure in January 2012. Ownership was taken over by the Evangelical Christian Credit Union, the lender church officials used in buying the property . The value then was listed at $3 million; records filed with the Sevier County Register of Deeds indicate the Ogles purchased it for $1 million.

The property sits not far from one of their businesses, Ogle Furniture Outlet, but Ron Ogle said they have no plans to change the uses for either building.

He said he bought them because he wanted both the church building and the day care continue being used in the same capacity

“We intend on operating it as a church and day care,” he said.

“I helped build the building originally in 1987 and we just had an opportunity to buy it so we bought it ... It’s got a lot of sentimental things to us. We’ve got a lot of memorials in it from when our granddaughter died, and we want the church to be successful.”

Church elder Mike Beagen said they talked to Ogle after he acquired the property and the church will remain there in the short term, but will be looking for a new location.

“Ron said he would also work with Evergreen so we expect to continue operating there until we choose a new location,” he said.

If they do relocate, the child care center will continue operating but at some point it will no longer be managed directly by the church, Beagen said.

“We would not operate a church in a different location and have the child care center somewhere else,” he explained.

It isn’t clear yet how they will enact that split, but they hope to have more answers for parents within a few weeks.

The church will still hold its live nativity and Christmas tree sale this year, Beagen said.